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Secretary Clinton Meets With Brazilian Foreign Minister Patriota

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton held a bilateral meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota on February 23, 2011. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed a wide range of issues, including preparing for President Obama's upcoming visit to Brazil, his first presidential visit to South America. Secretary Clinton said she was honored attend the inauguration of President Dilma Rousseff, and she looks forward to broadening and deepening the strong partnership between the United States and Brazil.

The Secretary believes President Obama's visit to Brazil "comes at a time when we are cooperating closely and our bilateral work on issues and global challenges, including food security and human rights and clean energy and global inequality, is key to both of us. And we will explore even additional ways to pursue our common interests and our common values. Both Brazil and the United States seek to promote open and accountable government, civil rights, a vibrant civil society, and social inclusion."

The Secretary continued, "...President Rousseff has placed particular emphasis on eliminating poverty and advancing the role of women, something that I am particularly pleased to endorse. And the two are connected, because empowered women tend to be entrepreneurial women who lift their families and even their neighborhoods and communities out of poverty.

"I am also pleased that last year our two countries launched the Global Partnership Dialogue to advance exchanges on economic, security, and social issues. In the past year, our energy ministries have concluded a work plan for energy that will help us collaborate on advancing sustainable technologies such as hydropower, smart grids, and energy efficient housing. We initialed an Open Skies agreement that will increase the number of flights between the United States and Brazil and make pricing more competitive, and we signed a defense cooperation agreement that will help us work together to meet the security challenges confronting us. I also was pleased that we signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will help us together promote international development.

"Brazil brings so much to the table when it comes to global development, and I often point to Brazil as a model. And I am delighted that just recently the foreign minister chaired the Security Council on Security and Development. Brazil has pioneered innovative and indigenous responses to HIV/AIDS. After the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Brazil became one of Haiti's top ten donors. It already commanded and continues to command the UN Stabilization Mission that has provided security to the Haitian people. And we have worked together closely to ensure that the next round of elections in Haiti go well.

"So Brazil has enormous credibility when it comes to development, and the United States supports what Brazil is doing in reaching out around the world. In fact, the foreign minister told me that Brazil has opened 50 new embassies in recent years. And we look forward to working with Brazil, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

"So this is an exciting time for Brazil and for our relationship. The whole world is looking forward to Brazil hosting the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016. And we are especially pleased that President Obama will be visiting Brazil and will have a chance to speak directly to the Brazilian people about the cooperation, partnership, and friendship that exists not only between our leaders but between our people."